Words
by 24Chocoholic24
Summary: Set right after Crash. The gang gets rescued and taken to a nearby city. Content includes: a surgery, reunion, a haunting, development of a romance, and more. Pairings: WoJo, LillyBug, GarretRenee. Please R
1. Rescued

**Words**

The choppers finally found the gang! What happened next? Let's see…

When the first chopper touched down, the pilot was met by four very happy people. Bug, Woody, Kate, and Nigel stormed the man, helping in every way possible to further the rescue mission. "I can take four people… max," the man informed them once inside Dr. Macy's makeshift home.

"Okay," Jordan took charge. "Garrett, Nigel, you guys are definitely on the first chopper. Garrett, do you want me to –"

"I want you to go with Woody. You two need to talk." His voice was strained, but strong. She knew instantly that he would be alright.

"We already —"

"Then talk more," Dr. Macy insisted. "You can't possibly have talked about _everything_."

"Then, Garrett and Nigel go with Kate and Bug on the first chopper. Woody and I will bring whatever we can on the second one and we'll meet you guys at the hospital." Jordan smiled, looking up at Woody excitedly.

After the choppers had switched positions and the first one headed to the hospital, Woody helped Jordan load up the helicopter. First, he helped her climb in, then she pulled him in after her. As he buckled in, he noticed her tearing up. Woody rubbed her arm, and tears began to tumble down her cheeks. He tried his best to reassure her. "We're all gonna be fine, even Dr. Macy," he stated confidently. "We're safe."

Jordan forced a smile through her pain. "Yeah, but just because we almost died on a mountain in the middle of nowhere doesn't change what's back at home," she reminded him. The look on his face testified to his cluelessness. She explained, "My dad's gotta find out about this somehow, and I have to deal with him. Kate's in charge, so work is gonna be as tough as ever. And my meningioma…" Her voice trailed off.

Woody's eyes widened as he recalled the events of the last few days. Your medicine –" he started, but Jordan cut him off.

"I took it," she nodded.

With that assurance, Woody relaxed again. "You said you want to travel…"

"I… I don't think I can," her smile began to fade.

"Why not? You can take a couple weeks off… relax… anywhere you want to! _Experience_ the rest of the world!" The very concept excited Woody almost as much as it did Jordan. What he really wanted to know was: what was she not telling him? Luckily, it turned out to be the same question.

"I don't want to spend so much time away… from you. I can't risk messing up another relationship. I just keep throwing myself at whoever I can get my hands on, and I end up… running away. I only run because I'm…" it was hard for her to admit it, but, "I'm scared. I guess it's like you said before. I just need someone to hold me a little tighter – and not let go." As she remembered all the times she had been hurt, a second wave of tears escaped.

Woody cupped Jordan's face in his hands and turned her head so her eyes met his. "I won't let go," he promised, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "And I'm not going anywhere. I know I didn't say it on the mountain, but I love you, Jordan. I want to make this work."

"So do I," Jordan responded. "I'm sorry if I've ever hurt you. It won't ever happen again."

Woody stopped her before she could say anything more. "No, it's okay. I know I've hurt you; and I'm sorry, too. We can take it slower this time, if you want. Trust takes time…"

Again Jordan cut in. "I've had enough time. I _do_ trust you. I just have to learn to trust myself – to face my fears. I… I'm gonna stop hiding, okay? You deserve my honesty."

"I don't deserve anything. You're the one –"

"You at least deserve more than I do. I'm the one that's been lying and keeping myself from _you_. I want to fix things, and I'm gonna need help. I need _you_, Woody. Please." Jordan was begging now, and Woody knew it.

He smiled. It was now or never, as his gut feeling told him. Discreetly, he removed the box from his pocket. Jordan recognized it instantly. She gasped as he opened it to reveal the same ring he had proposed to her with once before. He could not read her expression, and that worried him. "Is now a bad time to ask?" he questioned nervously. To his relief, she smiled and began to laugh.

"You don't even have to. The answer is 'yes!'" She leaned in and kissed Woody gingerly before allowing him to slip the ring around her finger.

Woody, knowing how tough all this was for Jordan, wrapped one arm around her shoulders. His other hand was enclosed in both of hers, her head on his shoulder. Woody rested his head against Jordan's, his own heart soaring. For the rest of the ride they remained like that, both asleep long before they reached their next safe haven.


	2. Waiting

Back at the hospital, Garrett was rushed into surgery. The equipment was shipped, under Bug's supervision, back to Boston. Bug had been torn between taking care of Dr. Macy and returning to his family, but he chose the latter.

Nigel and Kate were both asleep in chairs in the waiting room when Jordan and Woody arrived. Kate's head was leaned back against the backrest of her chair; Nigel's was against the wall, and he held a book still open to the page he had been reading. With no news from the doctor, Woody led Jordan to the coffee shop. To their great surprise, there at a table for three sat Max Cavanaugh.

"D-Dad?!" Jordan stammered. Her father smiled. She rushed into his open arms, holding onto him for several long moments. "I'm sorry I never called or anything. I should have come looking for you!"

As they pulled apart, Max shook his head. "I owe you an apology, too. I haven't been a very good father to you lately. I'll forgive you if you forgive me."

"It's a deal," she agreed with a smile. "But where have you been? How did you find out about the crash?"

Max sat down, inviting the other two to do the same. "I've been out in Montana. I just needed to get away from it all. I called you at work just after you left. Then, the crash made it onto the radio at my place and I was able to track you guys here. I was just shocked to learn that you survived – though, knowing you, I probably shouldn't have been. You guys okay?"

"A little banged up," Woody shrugged.

"What with Woody watching out for me, how could I not be okay?" Jordan's tone was sarcastic, but at least Woody knew she meant it gratefully.

Max shifted in his seat. "You two back together?" He cocked his head.

Woody and Jordan, unsure of how to give him the news, looked at each other in a panic, trying to decide who would say what. Woody ended up taking the first turn. "Mr. Cavanaugh, if it's alright with you, I'd like to have your daughter's hand in marriage."

Max's mouth hung open. He looked first to Woody, then Jordan, then back to Woody. "Don't you suppose Jordan should have some say—"

"He asked me on the helicopter… I said 'yes,'" she cut in.

Max smiled up at Woody now. "No better man could ask. Of course you can marry my daughter. And, by the way, you call me Max." With that, an excited exchange of hugging and kissing began, continuing a bit later when Nigel and Kate got the news. Unfortunately, the party was broken apart by a young nurse.

"Nigel Townsend?" she called.

"Right here," Nigel announced with a wave of his good hand. Kate turned sharply to face the young woman, whose nametag read "Jen."

"Come with me, please," Jen instructed. "The doctor will treat your injuries now."

Nigel nodded a temporary goodbye to the rest of the group. All but Kate smiled hopefully; the bold blonde followed Nigel when he followed the nurse. The man shot her a questioning glance, but was answered with a smile. "I thought you might like some company," she shrugged. "Plus, I want to be there – just _in case_ something happens."

Back in the waiting room, Jordan sat between her fiancée and her father – both of whom were asleep. She herself held the worn picture of a four-year-old boy, son of the pilot that had meant to deliver the morgue staff back to Boston. "Carter," Nigel quietly identified the child upon his return. "We ought to tell him."

Jordan nodded in sorrowful agreement. Looking up at Nigel, she noticed that he had returned unaccompanied. "Where's Kate?"

"Bathroom," Nigel whispered simply.

"Oh," the brunette mumbled under her breath, as Kate rounded the corner and rejoined the group.

Several hours later, Dr. Macy was still in surgery and his closest friends sat in a circle, playing cards. On her turn, two familiar figures caught Jordan's eye. Checking in were the two people everybody least expected to see. "Abbey? Renee?" Jordan rose to greet them.

Abbey froze, staring intently. "I'm… sorry…" she offered hopefully, obviously forgetting who this woman approaching her was. Luckily, her question was answered promptly.

"Jordan Cavanaugh," Renee smiled. "Thank you for taking care of Garrett."

Jordan nodded toward the older woman, then turned to the younger. "It's the least I could do for the man who pays me." Addressing Abbey directly, she added, "But he's _your_ father. He needs _you_ right now. He still loves you – more than anything!" She turned then back to Renee, her eyes shining. "He loves you, too, Renee. He may not have admitted it yet, but I know he does. He needs you two… he needs you."


	3. Friend

Jordan, Renee, and Abbey just stood – silent – for several long moments. A silent understanding set in between them, the knowledge of the rough road ahead. Just as the silence began to become uncomfortable, a weary surgeon walked out into the open room of chairs. "Macy?" he summoned the group. To his great surprise, seven people stood to face him and receive the news. "We're just wrapping up in the O.R. Garrett will be fine, but he has a long road to recovery. Now, I can take two of you back there to meet him, and the rest of you are going to have to wait 'till tomorrow. I'm sorry."

Abbey and Renee stepped up to follow the nurse, while the other five breathed a sigh of relief. Dr. Macy was okay. Nigel agreed to rent a room in a nearby hotel with Kate. Max offered to drive them over, and he was taken up on it. Jordan, though, opted to stay around and visit with her employer as soon as possible.

Woody, desperately craving a shower, decided to check into the hotel as well and clean up before rejoining Jordan. Anyway, he knew she needed her space. On the other hand, she had a way of getting into the worst of situations. Even at a hospital, there was surely plenty of trouble to be found. With that in mind, he set out to freshen up.

Jordan quickly found herself alone in the large waiting room. Abbey and Renee would be a while, and she had very little to do in the meantime. Cell phone games provided sufficient entertainment until the next nerve-racked party arrived.

A young girl with dark skin and even darker hair sat down in the chair across from Jordan. Beside the girl sat a couple who appeared to be her grandparents. The man didn't say much, but the woman could not stop talking about how useless modern technology actually is when it comes to hospital stays. Eventually, she tired of the subject and excused herself to use the restroom. The man followed suit, addressing the child. "Jessica, do you need to go?" he asked, and she shook her head. "Stay here, then," he instructed. "We'll be right back." The girl did as she was told and watched them disappear down the hallway.

Seeing as they were the only two in the waiting room, Jordan jumped at the opportunity to distract another troubled soul. With a smile, she leaned forward and caught the girl's attention. "Jessica," she thought aloud. "That's a nice name."

Jessica smiled sheepishly. "Thank you," she nearly whispered. After a short but awkward silence, she decided to spark a conversation. "Are you here for someone?"

Jordan was taken by Jessica's sweet nature. After a moment of thought, she replied, "My friend just came out of surgery. What brings you here?"

Jessica smiled sadly, clinging to a weak hope of unknown nature. When she spoke, her voice was strong, but there was an emptiness evident in her tender soul. "My mom has cancer," she explained. "It made her sick… again; so they're fixing it." Her gaze shifted down to the decorations on the pink Crocs she wore; worry was taking its toll on this vulnerable soul before Jordan.

Looking for a topic to discuss to divert both ladies' attention, she noticed a cheerleading logo on Jessica's shirt. "You're a cheerleader?"

The child smiled sadly, tears forming in her blue-grey eyes. "Like Devan," she nodded.

Jordan was taken aback. Jessica had her eyes, her smile, but could it be just a coincidence? "Devan?" Jordan gasped.

"She was my cousin. Devan MacGuire. She was in a plane crash, and…"

"She took a hero's fall," Jordan finished. "I worked with her. She was… great! I miss her." Now, Jordan was shedding tears along with the child. She moved to a couch nearby, bringing Jessica with her.

"Me, too," the girl admitted. For a few long minutes, they held each other like family, sharing their grief with the lonely room. Not to Jordan's surprise, Jessica cried herself to sleep before she even realized that she was tired. Jordan, too, was nearing slumber when Jessica's grandparents returned.

The elderly woman wore a curious smile, while her husband stared blandly at the two on the couch. "Is she okay?" the woman inquired.

Jordan forced a smile and a nod. "She's just missing her cousin… Devan. She was my coworker at the M.E.'s office. Wonderful personality; a cheerleader all around." The couple in front of her just stood there; and it took a moment for Jordan to rmember that she had not yet introduced herself. Holding out her free hand, she did so. "Jordan Cavanaugh."

"Bob MacGuire. This is Rita." The man shook her hand, followed by his wife.

This time, Rita spoke. "Jessica's mother has cancer; and her father is in Iraq for two more weeks, so we're helping out. Jessica's having a hard time right now; she's been asking for a pen pal. Do you know how we could get her hooked up with someone?"

Jordan's eyes widened in excitement unshown. "I'll be her pen pal," she blurted. Just as excitedly, she was taken up on the offer. No sooner had they exchanged contact info than the MacGuires were called back and Jessica awoken. As they waved goodbye, Jordan felt her heart fall a little: she was alone again. _You'd think there'd at least be some skiing accidents, out here in the mountains,_ she marveled. Having nothing better to do, she then settled down to read those old medical magazines.


	4. Anxiety

Woody was the first one back, arriving in the waiting room just moments after Abbey and Renee.

"How is he? Is he okay? What did they put him on?" Jordan rose from her seat, confronting her friends.

"He's fine," Renee rolled her eyes. "He's on morphine; and he says we should all go get some rest. I'll call you when I hear from him in the morning. Then, you can come see him, okay?"

"But—"

"No 'but's, Jordan," Woody insisted, his hand on her shoulder. Taking her silence for the submission that it was, he continued. "You guys are coming with me. They only had three rooms left; two doubles and a single. Kate and Nigel took one double, and we got you two the other." He gestured toward Renee and Abbey. "Room 116." He handed a key card set to Abbey. "If you need anybody, Max is in 122, Kate and Nigel have 109, and Jordan and I have 204."

Jordan shot him a look. He shrugged, and she knew that he had taken the lonely room out of courtesy for the others. In case of an emergency, he and Jordan could be more help and keep a good eye on things.


	5. Warning

After an afternoon at the mall and a laid-back dinner, the healthy group settled into their rooms. As the sun set, the darkness brought on a fear Jordan had nearly forgotten. Jordan was watching a game show on TV and Woody was washing up for bed in the bathroom. She had discovered earlier that the one remote in their room was broken. In fact, the entire receiving system on the television was broken. Suddenly, though, as she was sitting on the bed, the TV channel suddenly changed to a horror movie.

Annoyed, she brushed it off as a power glitch and changed it manually. No sooner had she gotten comfortable again than the channel changed back to the horror flick. Again, she changed the channel, and again it changed back to the movie. She tried watching several other shows, but the television kept changing itself back to the movie. Frustrated, she turned the set off, but to no avail. Every time she turned it off, the movie came back on – even when the power light was unlit. "Woody!" It was the only logical explanation. "I don't know how you're doing it, but –"

"Wait!" he interrupted. "Doing what?"

She stared at the television screen and the terror unfolding on it. There was something creepy – something foreboding and personal – about it. "The TV thing."

"What TV thing?" He poked his head curiously into the bedroom. Upon sighting the dark scenes Jordan's eyes were trained on, he winced. "I hate this one. I think it's called 'Killer Revenge' or something. Girl gets guy killed, guy comes back as ghost and tortures girl. It was pretty sappy; in the end, the girl gets dragged into the netherworld by the ghost and neither is ever heard from again."

During Woody's rambling, Jordan had realized something. Her mind kept shooting back to that night after Cahill's death and the discomfort she had suffered since. When Woody finished speaking, he found her gripping her rosary tightly in her lap with trembling hands. His mood changed immediately, and he slowly approached her. "Jordan…?" Something was obviously wrong. Assuming that she was simply spooked by the movie, he hit the power button. To his shock, the set was unresponsive. Confused and frustrated, he pulled the plug from the wall. To the relief of both occupants of the room, the screen went dark and the sound was silenced. "Faulty set," Woody complained.

"No," Jordan replied solemnly, her voice soft and distant. There was no mistaking her fear. Tears threatened to fall as she presented her case. "That's been happening… every time that movie comes on, my TV came on. After the third time, I threw mine out. I figured it was broken beyond repair. I didn't even watch the movie. I just ignored it. But now, I don't think I can."

Woody knew Jordan well enough to know what she was thinking. "So, you think that somebody's ghost is bent on killing you?" The idea would've amused him, had he not believed in evil spirits himself. Besides, if it was a threat to Jordan, it was a threat to him; he was her rock and he was intent on protecting her.

Big, brown eyes begged him to ease her fear, or at least to find the truth. He sat on the edge of the bed, by her side, and wrapped his arm around her stiffened shoulders. For a moment, she relaxed at his touch. Any comfort to be found, unfortunately, was to be short-lived.


	6. Wrath

Suddenly, the drawer on the bedside table began to shake. The rattling drew Jordan and Woody's attention, particularly because it was moving of its own accord. Woody hastily positioned himself between Jordan and the shaking furniture. Jordan peered over his shoulder as the drawer shot open violently. Inside was the gun that Cahill had threatened her life with not so long ago.

Jordan gaped, barely able to speak. "Cahill's gun," she choked out.

Woody shook his head, trying to find an alternative explanation. He and Jordan exchanged a terrified glance. When they looked back to the gun, though, it was gone. The drawer was closed and the furniture still again. But then, just as suddenly as the drawer had shot open, the room became cold and a strange wind whipped around the bedroom. The lamps were knocked to the floor and loose bedding and furniture was flung into the current.

Jordan ducked, to avoid harm and to try and escape the nightmare she was living. For much the same reasons, Woody laid protectively on top of her. After 45 grueling seconds, Woody finally confronted the spirit. 'Who are you and what do you want?!" His demands went unanswered, except for the resulting calm. After several more minutes, the room was once again warm and calm.

Exhausted from the adrenaline rush, the two remade the bed and climbed in. Woody was first under the covers, surprised to find Jordan in his arms so willingly, so soon. She was still weak, and he had acquired a fear for her life; so he held her in a safe embrace until the first light of morning awoke him.

Carefully, Woody maneuvered his way out of Jordan's grip and hit the shower. _Maybe it was all just a bad dream,_ he hoped outwardly. Inwardly, though, he knew the truth. While he was undressing, he spotted – in his peripheral vision – a dark figure in the shower. During the split second it took Woody to turn around, the figure disappeared. Now more scared than ever, he took what had to be the fastest shower of his life.

It was then that Jordan found out that Woody was her protection. She was aware that he had gotten out of bed, but she had temporarily forgotten about the poltergeist. Finding her alone, the ghost resumed his tormenting. In a terrible nightmare, the M.E. found herself being chased by a demon down an endless, empty street. Its eyes were empty and its horns razor sharp. When the vile creature finally caught her, its hands were slimy on her skin and fear was abundant within her. Her struggle indeed in Woody's grip as he shook her awake.

"Jordan! It's just a dream," he was assuring her.

Panting, Jordan hesitated a moment. "It was so real! This… _creature_ was chasing me… and…" Again, her eyes were wide with fear. She shook her head, willing the dream to leave her memory. "It's following me. I have to satisfy it, or get an exorcism… or something. You can't just ignore these things!"

Before Jordan could say anything more, and as Woody tried to "shush" her, there came a knock on the door. Grateful for the distraction, Jordan jumped up and answered it.


	7. Bait

"I brought you guys some donuts," Nigel announced giddily when the door opened, handing Jordan the food. The mess left from the night before was quite visible from the entryway, and it caught Nigel's eye. "you guys have fun last night?" he asked Woody, hoping to get more information. On his approach to the other two, Woody opened his mouth to answer; but Jordan had to have the first say in this, like many other subjects.

"If you call being tormented by a dead guy 'fun,' then yes. We had loads of 'fun.'"

Nigel suddenly grew solemn. "Tormented by a dead guy? As in: an evil spirit?"

"A.k.a. a ghost," Woody pointed out, confirming his friend's suspicion.

"Tell me _everything_ that happened," the computer geek instructed.

Jordan described the possessed furniture and the strange "weather," as well as the nightmare, in as much detail as she could. Then, Woody threw in a bit about the spirit in the bathroom. Having not yet heard about her fiancée's encounter, Jordan's jaw dropped. Woody nervously pressed his lips together and looked from Nigel to Jordan, then back to Nigel.

"Electronic glitches, misplaced items, atmospheric abnormalities, shadowy apparition…" Nigel thought aloud. He watched Jordan set her bag on the couch, her eyes still on him. "You certainly have a poltergeist on your hands; and it definitely isn't friendly. You say you think it's Cahill?"

Jordan nodded, but it was Woody who spike this time. "Shouldn't we call a Reverend or an exorcist… or something?" His voice was laced with a sense of urgency.

A gasp from Jordan drew the attention of the other two. She lifted the side of her shirt to reveal three long, red scratches on her side. Looking to Nigel for an explanation, she found only more fear. A concerned Woody laid his hand on her shoulder, and Jordan grabbed his forearm, so as to keep it there.

"We may not have time," Nigel worried aloud. His eyes wide, he searched his memory for a quick fix, but none seemed to fit Jordan's situation. "Usually, an evil spirit – or 'ghost,' if you will – will haunt a house or a certain area that is important to them. Aside from possession, it's highly uncommon for a spirit to follow a human. It seems that direct communication with Cahill – or whoever it is – may be our only chance." He wanted to tell them everything, but acting fast was more important. Besides, his friends surely wished to be spared of the gruesome details.

Jordan, scared as she was, remained amused with Nigel's crazy ideas about the paranormal. "And what? It's gonna talk back to you, or are we just gonna do it for your amusement?"

Nigel just glared at her for a moment before giving an answer. "If we're lucky, he will communicate with us and we can figure out what he wants. Or would you rather I just leave and let the spirit do what he wants with you?"

With the other two locked in a death stare competition, Woody piped up. "Do whatever you have to," he pleaded. "Just get rid of it!" This was no time for another traumatic experience; he wasn't sure how much anyone could take, but he guessed that they were getting close to maxing out. Jordan needed a vacation, that he could tell, and Woody had been getting pretty homesick since his last visit to Wisconsin. As hard as it may be, Woody was going to take control of his stress, and help Jordan with hers. Now, though, Woody simply hoped that his fiancée was strong enough to shake this ghost off of her tail.

At the precise moment that Jordan looked into the bedroom, her suitcase flew open. Then, as if by some invisible giant playing with his toys, a blue rosary was pulled from the bag. As it hung in the air, Jordan was pulled into a strange trance. Her arms fell to her sides and she was suddenly calm and focused. Slowly, she advanced toward the floating jewelry, Woody right behind her, trying desperately to grab her attention. "Jordan! What are you doing?!" He waved his hand in front of her face, but she would not respond. "Jordan! Jordan!"

Nigel was still rooted to his original spot, naught more than a sponge, absorbing the reality of the events before him. "Mind control," he uttered, once he was convinced of the trickery himself. For a moment, Woody froze, considering the suggested. Before he could decide what to believe, Jordan was in the bedroom. No sooner had the detective caught up with the M.E. than a dark form reached out toward the latter. The form was undeniably more than just that; it was the same – evil – spirit that had caused Jordan so much trouble already.


	8. Possession

Woody could wait no longer. Fearing for Jordan and left with no better option, he took a firm hold of her and abruptly brought her to the safety of the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the darkness swallow the rosary.

Powered by a deep breath, Nigel rushed into the bedroom, nearly blinded by the dark fog that had filled the area. Unable to find his friends, he forced himself to think. "Woody!" he called out. "Open the window!"

Reluctant to do so, the detective moved steadily to his feet. Jordan made no move to follow him, but he could tell that she was still breathing – and heavily. "It'll be over any time now," he assured her.

Now, the woman looked up to the one she loved with an eerie emptiness in her eyes. "I feel like… I'm gonna die," she admitted quietly, eyes wide. This froze Woody in his spot, and just after, Nigel stumbled into him. Taking notice of Woody's solidity, Nigel shoved a 9-inch wooden cross into his friend's hands and headed toward the window.

"What am I supposed to do?" the detective shouted nervously after Nigel.

"Use it to reinforce your prayers and commands!"

Now, a low rumbling grew out from the silence, obviously a protest from the spirit. For a brief moment, Jordan jerked away from human contact while Woody held the cross in the air. "Be gone! You have no business here… there's no reason for this!" Then, he noticed the terrible change in Jordan's behavior. She sat up, glaring relentlessly into his eyes. He forced himself not to submit; that was not Jordan's glare. The smile she wore and the calmness she showed was the calm before the storm. "Jordan?!"

If possible, the evil in her multiplied, and she rose to tower over Woody, hands raised as talons aiming at nobody in particular. After a long moment and a strained attempt to attack Woody, she regained control of herself. Now, though, she was caught in a surreal battle for her sanity, and perhaps even her life. Woody, still cowering away from the possessed, realized quickly that the latter was choking. "Jordan! Breathe! Don't let go!"

Jordan was overwhelmed by the demon at last, and was forced into full unconsciousness. The spirit, though, took control of her body. There was enough of a lapse that Woody caught on and Nigel had a chance to call out over what was now a roar. "What's going on?"

"She's possessed! Hurry!" Panic rose within the Wisconsin native, nearly to the point of paralysis. As Nigel stepped up his attempt to force open the window, Woody confronted the spirit. "Who are you?" He tried to sound intimidating, but he would soon find that ghosts are not easily overpowered.

In a crazed and raspy male voice, that which was within Jordan's body replied. "Now, there's a stupid question!"

"Cahill, I swear… if you don't leave Jordan alone, I'll—"

"You'll what? You can't kill me now. _You_ can do _nothing!_"

Woody, at this point, rose to face the spirit. In one swift motion, he turned Jordan's body around and pinned her hands behind her back. "I see you're tactfully avoiding the subject of God." This exorcism thing was not so different from conducting an arrest. Promptly, he recited the Lord's Prayer and tried to concentrate. Unfortunately, Jordan's body escaped from his grip at the "amen" and began to writhe uncontrollably on the ground.

Woody reached to steady Jordan, but he couldn't keep a hold on her. He made several attempts to quiet the spirit but even using the cross didn't seem to help. He wasn't sure if the screams came from Jordan or Cahill's spirit, but it killed him to endure the pain she was obviously experiencing. Following his last hope, Woody reached over and pulled the Bible from the bedside table. Holding it to Jordan's chest – over her heart, - he made but one demand. "In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God, - and by His Power, - I command you to leave this body and return to where you belong!"

For a long moment, Jordan lay with her back arched up in the air, eyes closed, her scream mixed with that of the evil spirit's. Then, as Nigel threw himself at the window, three loud thumps sounded – from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The window stood open by the third thump, and the spirit had left Jordan's body. Woody was still leaning against the wall, watching Jordan fearfully and holding the Bible against the ground when the room became clear and silent again.


	9. Shock

Nigel slumped to the ground in exhaustion and Woody put the cross and the Bible aside. As Jordan gained full consciousness again and began to come out of shock, Woody leaned toward her. "Jordan?"

"Woody! Are… you okay?" She was obviously shaken, but more concerned about the guys than herself.

"Yeah," Woody breathed truthfully.

Before Woody could ask Jordan about herself, she had called out to Nigel. "I'm good," he assured her. "Look, I'm gonna need to record this while it's still fresh in my mind. You guys gonna be okay? It's all clear now." Nigel, too, was in a sort of shock of his own. He hurried over to the other two, crouching down and laying a hand on each of them. Woody gave him a positive answer, and Jordan just stared at him, nodding and smiling a bit; so Nigel promptly returned to his room.

By the time Nigel was out the door, Woody had Jordan sitting on the bed again. "I… I'm sorry," she began. "I stole his rosary when he kidnapped me; and… I got him killed… I never got a chance to return it. I meant to. I—"

"Jordan," Woody interrupted her. "It's okay. He's gone for good – and he's got his rosary."

"I saw my mother," Jordan added. "There was a while when I wasn't really conscious – and it wasn't like the rest of it – that was a living hell. But this time, I saw her – dead – and I just…" her voice trailed off briefly. "I miss her… so much!" Tears came easily and quickly dampened her face. Woody gazed at her understandingly and pulled Jordan close. For several long minutes he held her solidly, stroking her hair with one hand. As he ran his fingers through long, silky strands, he paused to rest his cheek against her head. At last, it was over.


	10. Awakening

All was finally returning to normal when the twosome got company. Jordan opened the door to her concerned father, flanked by Kate and a babbling Nigel. Max spoke first. "You okay, Jordan?"

Smiling almost wearily, she nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He wouldn't take such a simple answer; he would not let his daughter hide from him. "I heard screaming. What happened?"

"Nothing."

"It was Cahill," Woody stated plainly. "He haunted her, he possessed her…"

"We expelled him, and now he's gone for good." It was Nigel who finished the sentence.

Clearly, the eldest man was offended. "Why did nobody tell me before now?"

"Because nobody was sure of what was going on until this morning," Jordan explained. "I'm sorry, but I hadn't got a chance to contact you yet. But now, since we're all caught up, is there any news on Garrett?"

Max shook his head. "Renee and Abbey are on their way to the hospital now." Stuffing a lumpy, plastic bag in her arms, he added, "Please take these… and use them"

Looking inside lit up her face. "Clothes," she identified the contents. "Thank you!"

Kate was quickly growing impatient. "Look, I'm going to the bookstore across the street. Meet me over there and we can carpool back to the hospital." With the consent of the others, Kate set off to get some fresh air.

Renee pulled the car to a stop in parking space 258 and turned to face Abbey. The girl was searching the parking lot for some welcome distraction from her reality. Responsibility was a difficult concept for her to master, and she was tired of it. Some responsibilities she could handle – most, actually, - but not those which she feared. She wouldn't be able to bury her father, to face his friends and family, to not have him constantly there for her. Renee would be her only comfort. At least she would have Renee.

"Are you ready?" The D.A. wasn't sure if she, herself, was even ready.

"Yeah, let's go find 'im." It was almost as if she had simply lost sight of him in the hardware store, according to her tone of voice. She allowed her friend to help her out of the car they had rented and lead her through the hospital to the room in which he rested. He looked so fragile, so different, yet the same. "Daddy?" she prompted unsteadily, slowly approaching his bed.

The doctor in the doorway smiled sadly. "It may be a while before he wakes up. When he does, be careful with him. We can't let his heart rate get too high."

Renee nodded, then excused the doctor to deal with another patient. She watched Abbey take a seat in a chair by her father's bed before sitting next to her, if only to be there for two of the most important people in her life.

When the other five arrived, the doctor tried to keep them out of Garrett's room; but was beat after much bribery and "negotiation." Not much conversation took place before everybody was asleep.

Abbey's head rested on the hospital bed, by her father's arm, while the rest of her was supported by the chair. When the first light of morning came in through the window, she awoke to find a familiar, strong touch stroking her hair. Immediately, she shot up and carefully embraced the man it belonged to. "Daddy!" she cried. "Ohmig! Are you okay? I was afraid I'd never see you again! I love you!"

"I love you, too, Abbey," he smiled. "And I'm fine. I should be able to go home within a few days."

By now, Jordan had woken up. "Home, maybe; but you're not going back to work this month."

Looking at her like she was crazy, he shot back, "I'm your boss – I am the Chief M.E. – I'll go back to work when I want to!"

"Next month!" Jordan added, smiling with satisfaction. With her victory came everyone else's awakening and greetings to their friend.

Woody and Garrett remained in the room while everybody else went out for coffee. Garrett spoke first. "Woody, I need you to do me a favor."

"And what would that be?"

"I need you to keep Jordan away from work and out of my hair."

Woody's dimples made themselves known as he smiled. "How about I take her to Wisconsin?"

Now, it was Garrett's turn to smile. "I hear it's beautiful in Wisconsin. The perfect place to propose…"

"Actually, I found that popping the question on an emergency chopper produces good results."

Garrett sighed, relaxing muscles that he didn't even know were tense. "Finally!" Then, seeing the baffled expression on his friend's face, he cleared his throat. "I mean, thank you, Woody. You guys have been 'dancing' too long. And the best of luck to the both of you."

"Thank you!"

"No; thank _you._"


End file.
